Promises
by Skate-815
Summary: Sequal to The Score, but you don't have to read it to read this, more info inside on that.It's been 9 years and Danny's finally back. What's his reaction going to be to the changes within the gang? now complete. Big thanks to all the reviewers i've had
1. Return

**Well here's my new fic, sequal to 'The Score' (I still hate that title lol) It's set nine years in the future. **

**To those who didn't read the score, you can still read this without trailing through the 19 chapters of the other one to find out exactly what happened. Really all you need to know was the gang were conning someone to get revenge for him hurting Eddie, the guy stabbed Stacie, so Mickey called off the con. Danny went in alone, finished the con with the help of the police (who won't appear in this fic), but Mickey got hurt in the process. Danny quit conning for life and disappeared.**

**Without any further ado, here it is... ta da!**

**Promises**

**Chapter 1: Return**

Eddie lifted one of his sparklingly clean pint glasses and held it up to the light, examining it for any smudges. Satisfied there were none, he put it one the end of a perfectly straight line, and picked up the next. He enjoyed these moments of relative quiet in the bar, when he knew his profits were safe from the conmen that virtually lived there when they weren't in the midst of a con. Which wasn't often, Eddie had to admit.

A man called irritably from the other end of the bar,

"Can I get some service around here?"

"In a minute!" Eddie called back, uncaring if he offended the rude man or not. Now the con artists had started paying for their own drinks instead of ripping him off at every opportunity, he was doing well enough to reject the odd obnoxious customer. To Eddie's annoyance, he didn't hear the tinkle of the bell above the door, indicating the customer had decided to stay.

"Can I help you?" Eddie went on with rubbing his glasses

"I'm looking for Stacie." The man said

"I don't know any Stacie." Eddie said on reflex, continuing to polish the glass which he knew would be most irritating.

"Eddie! It's me!" the man spoke. For the first time, Eddie looked properly at the man, and gawped.

"Danny?" Gone were the scruffy clothes, and gone were the jeans. He was wearing a suit, and his hair was short, neat and no gel was used at all. It was plain a lot could happen in nine years.

"Where've you been?"

"Here and there. I was in America for a while. Fantastic weather." He even had a new, tone of voice, hence Eddie not recognising him instantly.

"What do you do now?"

"I sell washing machines. It's really interesting once you get into it," Danny replied, without a trace of humour. Eddie wondered what had happened in this near decade to make Danny so… boring.

"So where is she?" Danny asked. Eddie paused, unsure if he should tell Danny anything. He'd left the family a long time ago, who knows what he'd do with the information. However, this _was_ Danny. Sure his appearance had changed, but deep down the same boy would still remain, right?

"They're at the church." He finally answered, giving Danny the pint he hadn't asked for

"Why?" he sipped the drink slowly

"Stacie's getting married again." Eddie held back his laughter when look on Danny's face

"Mickey?" He asked, clearly remembering their close relationship.

"No." Eddie fought to keep a straight face, "Someone else."

"How long's she known him?" Danny took a large drink, clearly finding this information hard to take

"This Sunday, it'll be a week." Eddie said, his face completely serious, but broke into a smirk when Danny choked on his drink, "Don't look so worried Danny, its part that con you used to do so often." He finally admitted.

"Oh." Realisation dawned on his face, "That was just mean." He said sounding a little more like the old Danny.

"I had to get you back somehow, after all those drinks you cheated me out of." Eddie rationalised.

"When are they due back?"

"Any minute now" Eddie replied glancing at the large clock hanging on the wall, "But there's a few things you should know…"

"Go on." Danny looked impatient.

"First- Albert died a few years back. They tried to contact you but they couldn't. I just thought you should know before they came in." Danny sat silently for a few moments before saying,

"He wasn't exactly young… I'd guessed something like this might have happened before I got here. I just hoped it hadn't. What's the other thing?"

"Mickey and Stacie… they're engaged."

"I'd guessed something like that might have happened too. When did they get together?"

"A few years ago."

"I'm surprised it took them so long, once I got out of the way." He said with more than a little bitterness. They fell into an uncomfortable silence, Danny clearly upset, and Eddie knowing no way of consoling him. Both men looked to the door as they heard the excited voices on the other side of it. Eddie was the first to look away from it, focusing instead on Danny. His body had gone completely still and his eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the door, looking at it with apprehension. To any by passer, he looked like any regular man, lost in thought, but Eddie could see how hard Danny was clutching the pint glass, how his other hand was tapping on the table with barely contained impatience. It was now clearer that ever that Danny, despite appearances was the still the same scared little boy with a crush on Stacie.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the door was finally pushed open, and in walked a considerably older looking Ash, followed by Mickey, looking pretty much the same as ever, and finally Stacie, still wearing the wedding dress.

"You look beautiful as always Stacie." Eddie commented, hoping to draw attention to himself, and thus Danny. It worked,

"Who's your friend Eddie?" Mickey asked, never speaking freely around strangers. Danny took his cue,

"Don't you recognise me?" he spun around in his seat to face them fully.

"Danny?!" Stacie said, sounding disbelieving.

"In the flesh." He said, smiling nervously

"I've missed you so much! We all have!" Stacie said, crossing the room and throwing her arms around him. Danny looked to Mickey, wondering what his feelings were about his fiancé throwing her arms around her ex. If you counted their brief kiss in the hospital room all those years ago… Danny somehow doubted she did. Mickey was smiling, genuinely pleased to have his young protégé back. Ash stood back, observing Stacie's display of affection more cynically than Mickey; however upon meeting Danny's eyes, he smiled too.

"Welcome home"

* * *

**So what do you think of the new Danny? Ash's reaction? Albert's death? Mickey and Stacie's engagement? Anything else I've forgotten? Tell me in the reviews :D**

**By the way, I believe this site is malfunctioning again lol. in case it doesn't send the review first time, i would appreciate it if you copy it and paste it into a new review box if it fails the first time. It generally works after a few attempts :D**

**Thanks :D**


	2. Lies and Truth

**Thanks to my wonderful reviewers, sn0zb0z, Vikki, Hannah and x-Kate-X and you're right, lol tisnt going to stay Mickey/Stacie for long**

**Chapter 2**

Soon, they were all settled around a booth in the bar, and looking at each other awkwardly. Mickey tried to break the ice, by slipping an arm around Stacie,

"So did Eddie tell you the good news?"

"About you two? Yeah. Fantastic." Danny said shortly, taking another large drink. Ash and Mickey exchanged a glance before Ash said,

"Did he tell you about Albert too?" Danny nodded.

"I wish you could have contacted me. I would have liked to have gone to the funeral."

"It was beautiful. He would have been pleased. There were grifters from all over the country there to pay their respects." Stacie said in a subdued voice.

"Only the best for Albie" Mickey said sounding down, "But that's enough about us. What about you? Got a wife? Girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend. Her names Penny. We have a daughter together,"

"How old is she?" Ash asked, sounding interested for the first time. Danny paused before answering,

"Five"

"Got any pictures?" Ash pressed

"Not on me" Once again, they fell into silence.

"Why're you here Danny?" Mickey finally asked

"Do I have to have a reason to come see you?"

"When you disappear for nine years without leaving so much as a phone number, it does seem a little strange when you just turn up out of the blue"

"Okay, yes I do have a reason to be here." He admitted, "But can it wait? I want to find out what I've missed, catch up on old times. I want to see Albert's grave" he finished.

"I'll take you" Stacie said, rising from her seat.

"Right now?" he frowned

"Yeah, unless you'd rather wait?"

"No. Now is good." He also stood, and the pair left the bar without a backwards glance.

"He's lying" Ash said, as they heard the bar door swing shut

"I know" Mickey agreed

"And Stacie hasn't realised. She thinks they can be 'just friends'."

"You don't think they can be?" Mickey asked

"He likes her too much"

"How much is too much?"

"I'd say making up a fake girlfriend and child to make her feel more comfortable around him is too much, wouldn't you?"

"His feelings were never an issue before…"

"You can lie to yourself as much as you want Mick; tensions between the three of you were building. You were both battling for her attention, and as much as you may want to think it, it was never inevitable that she would pick you."

"Well she's chosen me now, hasn't she?" Mickey said, his temper rising, "Danny Blue will not come between Stacie and I. And I won't let my relationship get in the way of Danny and I's friendship."

"Fine" Ash said stiffly, taking a drink, "But don't say I didn't warn you"

* * *

Stacie stood alongside Danny, an army of headstones surrounding them.

"This one his?" Danny asked, and she nodded in confirmation, "It must have cost a bloody fortune."

"Only the best for Albie" Stacie repeated

"What… What did he…. What happened?" He asked, struggling to find the right words

"Cancer" she said numbly

"I wish I could have been here,"

"Well if you'd left us a contact number you would have been"

"I know. I'm sorry. I couldn't be around Mickey and you after… after he got hurt like he did. The guilt would be too much. And the there was you and him… That would have killed me."

"At least you met your partner. Phoebe is it?" she asked, deliberately getting the name wrong

"Ah, yeah" he agreed, hardly listening, staring into the distance.

"Why are you here Danny?" She asked, "The truth for a change"

"This isn't the place to talk about it" he said, making no move to leave to somewhere more appropriate to talk about 'it'

"Oh God." She rolled her eyes and turned away from him

"What?" he said, fearing she'd realised the truth

"You came back here for me, didn't you? Did you honestly think I'd be waiting for you Danny? Did you actually expect me to be sitting, beating off all other men on the off chance you'd decide that you wanted to come back?"

"You're as self obsessed as ever, aren't you?" he said, annoyed, "As hard as it is to believe, I'm not here to sweep you off your feet, promise to be a better man for you and all that other clichéd crap."

"Then why are you here Danny?"

"I can't tell you. Not here, not on his grave"

"He's not going to care Danny! Just tell me!"

"Hendon's getting parole" he said suddenly. She looked at him in shock and horror.

"How can they do this?" she couldn't believe that the man that Danny had fought so hard to get put away all those years ago was out, "He'll kill us"

"That's why I'm here. I promised you I'd protect you"

"You don't have to be here" she said, "I have Mickey to do that now."

"And it worked out so well for him the last time he tried to stand up to him didn't it?" Danny replied, referring to the time Mickey had spent in hospital after being stabbed by Hendon.

"You think you would have faired any better?"

"No." Danny said honestly, "But there's strength in numbers, right?"

"So you came here looking for protection?" she said, disgust ringing in her voice

"No, of course not"

"Why else would you be here? I can't believe you! You come here, pretending you care about Albert. About me! And it turns out that Danny Blue's trying to save his own skin as usual. Typical" she turned and stormed back towards her car

"Stacie!" He shouted after her, but received no reply, "I do care" he whispered

**Thanks for reading. Please review too**


	3. Home

**Big thanks to Hannah, Vikki, sn0zb0z and X-kate-X for reviewing. **

**Chapter 3**

"If he's come here for protection then we should give it to him" Mickey said, facing Ash and Stacie, a frown on his face

"He's just using us" Stacie said, still feeling hurt from earlier.

"We're family" Mickey said firmly

"Danny stopped being one of us the second he walked out"

"It's what Albert would have wanted" Mickey said, knowing that if that couldn't convince her, nothing would.

"Danny has a girlfriend and a kid. Are we supposed to protect them too?" Stacie said with contempt in her voice. Ash and Mickey exchanged a look, but said nothing.

"What do you think Ash?" Mickey asked in desperation.

"As long as he stays out of our way, there's no reason why he can't stay in the apartment for a while. There's plenty of room."

"Fine" Stacie said, standing up, looking furious, "But if he screws something up, you've only yourselves to blame." She then stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"What's up with her?" Mickey asked, clearly confused, "you'd think she'd be happy to see him again."

"She feels used"

"Maybe, but she was so miserable when he left. Him visiting has to be a good thing, even if he has an ulterior motive."

"What're you going to do about his feelings?"

"I don't know what I can do."

"It's not as if anything will happen between them while she's this annoyed anyway" Ash agreed

"Nothing would happen anyway. She's with me" Mickey said, looking annoyed. Ash nodded, saying nothing. They sat in silence for a while, before Mickey spoke

"I'd better call him then," he stood and headed towards the phone. Ash watched him carefully, and spoke as Mickey was mid-dialling

"Why are you so desperate to have him back?"

"He's family"

"You and I both know that's not true. Family doesn't get other family put in hospital. Family doesn't leave. So what's the real reason? Is it to prove to yourself that you're not a failure? Or is it just because you need to know once and for all who Stacie prefers?"

"This is not about Stacie" Mickey shouted, before punching the numbers so hard in the keypad, Ash was sure he'd break it.

"We're at The Crown Park Hotel." Mickey barked into the phone, "Under the name Michael Fisher. Be here as soon as possible" He hung up before Danny could possibly have had time to reply and sauntered into the bedroom he and Stacie shared, also slamming the door. Ash sighed and shook his head. Mickey and Stacie were so alike. He couldn't see either backing down and admitting the other was wrong over this Danny thing.

* * *

Danny stared at his mobile, unsure what had just happened. Mickey must have got his number from somewhere, probably Stacie…. Did that mean that she wanted him to stay with them, until this Hendon thing blew over? Mickey had sounded angry. Did that mean he didn't want him? He didn't want to put a strain on their relationship by being there. He'd already hurt Stacie enough for one lifetime. Sighing, he decided it couldn't hurt to try, pocketed his phone and went outside to hail a taxi.

* * *

At this time, Mickey had emerged from his bedroom and was acting like the previous confrontation hadn't occurred. Stacie arrived a few minutes later, and she'd been sitting in a stony silence ever since her return. Ash was relieved when his phone started to ring, and he instantly fell into character as a wealthy business man as he proceeded in speaking to a mark. He nodded to Mickey as he hung up.

"We're going to have to move things along Mick. He wants his money today"

"Okay, I'll come with you" Mickey stood, looking grave, "Stacie… try not to kill Danny before we get back" his feeble attempt at a joke fell flat and Stacie gave him a mutinous glare.

"Right… well, bye" Ash said, looking uncomfortable. Mickey leant across the table and gave Stacie a soft kiss on the cheek, before following.

* * *

Moments later, Danny's nervous knock came on the door. Stacie opened it wordlessly and turned away. He went inside nervously, admiring the home they'd managed to set up for themselves. They sat in armchairs and faced the opposite direction from one another, willing someone to come in and end the awkwardness. Finally Danny broke the silence,

"This is stupid"

"Yes, it is." She agreed, "You could make life so much easier for all of us by just leaving."

"Why did you change your mind about having me then?" he asked

"I didn't. Mickey put his foot down, said you had to come back. God knows why. You're such a coward now. Not the Danny Blue I remember at all. He wouldn't wear suits. He wouldn't leave us. He wouldn't sell washing machines," she said with disgust

"If you were so dead set against me coming here, why would you give Mickey my number?"

"I don't know" she said, the anger strong in her voice, "I couldn't throw it away, but I didn't want to keep it. I had to give it to someone."

"I'm not using you, you know" he said suddenly

"Then why're you here,"

"Honestly? Because I was scared that Mickey wouldn't be enough to protect you. I'm not just worried about myself. I could disappear easily. Hendon couldn't track me down. But you all travel in a group. He could find you… hurt you, and I would never forgive myself" he finished

"Oh" Stacie said, looking shocked by his outburst, "I'm sorry about what I said earlier."

"It's okay. I would have thought the same in your position…"

"I was just so angry at you for leaving, you didn't even say goodbye properly. You just went downstairs to talk to Ash and didn't come back. I thought I'd never see you again." She could feel tears brimming, remembering past pains.

"It's okay" he said soothingly, "I'm home now."

* * *

**Well what do you think?**


	4. Ash's Problem

**yeah, i know how short this chapter is, but i jut couldnt think, sorry about that.**

**Thanks to Vikki, Hannah, sn0zb0z and Kate for reviewing**

**Promises Chapter 4**

A few days later, Danny was sitting alone on the sofa drinking a beer he'd found in the fridge. So far, there'd been no sign of Hendon anywhere, but that didn't mean he wasn't coming. He and Stacie had managed to patch things up, but it seemed the closer he got to Stacie, the more distant Ash became. He'd been looking for an opportunity to ask about it, but so far none had arisen. However, now that Ash and walked into the room, laptop under arm, Danny saw his chance.

"Hey Ash" he said.

"Hey" Ash replied, without looking at Danny

"Why have you been treating me so differently?" Danny saw no point in beating about the bush.

"I don't know what you mean," Ash said, typing something in his laptop

"Will you stop that for two seconds and just look at me?" Danny snapped

"Fine." Ash finally looked up at Danny, and he was surprised at the emotions he saw there. Annoyance. Suspicion. Anger.

"What have I done?"

"You left, Dan. Without even a proper goodbye."

"That's not the real reason." Danny said knowingly, "Mickey and Stacie forgave me for that."

"Stacie forgave you because she's Stacie and you're Danny. She could never stay angry at you for long. And Mickey… he doesn't know the full story, though I'm tempted to tell him."

"What full story?" Danny asked

"For a start, he doesn't know that you kissed her in the hospital room."

"He does," Danny interrupted, "Stacie told him."

"Well he doesn't know that Stacie doesn't love him" Ash blurted out

"What?" Danny said incredulously, "Of course she loves him."

"But she's not in love with him" Ash amended, "And you and I both know that makes all the difference."

"Why would she marry him if she wasn't in love with him?"

"Because although it's taken her a while, Stacie's ready to settle down. She wants a big house with a few kids, and she thinks she needs Mickey to have that,"

"If she doesn't love him, why're you letting her go through with it?"

"Because it was okay. It wasn't perfect, but it would have worked. Mickey loves her. At least one of them deserved to be happy,"

"Then how is any of this my fault?"

"Because she's still in love with you,"

"Stacie never loved me," Danny said bitterly

"Of course she loved you. But she knew what conflict it would cause in the group."

"But I left because I thought she loved Mickey,"

"Did she tell you that?"

"No… she denied it, but I thought that she was lying…" Danny realised what a waste the last few years had been. He could have been with the group, doing what he did best, and with the woman he loved, instead of living in a one bedroom flat, selling rubbish washing machines.

"Do you love her?" Ash asked him bluntly

"Yes" Danny answered honestly

"Then you have to do what's right, and let her marry Mickey,"

"Why should I?"

"Because she won't leave him. She would never hurt him like that. There's no point in making her hurt even more."

"Okay," Danny nodded, knowing he had to do the right thing, "As soon as this Hendon things over with, I'm gone,"

"That's probably for the best" Ash agreed, "You just going to go back to your washing machines?"

"No" Danny decided, "I think I've kinda got back into the conman life. I'll do it somewhere else though. I wonder if Scottish Ray would still want me…" he thought aloud. Ash smiled warmly at him for the first time since he'd returned,

"That's our Danny"

* * *

**yeah i know, ash is meab. but it's 10 years on. things have changed lol**

**review please**


	5. Hendon

**Chapter 5**

**Sorry about the lack of updates. I'm lazy like that :P**

**Big thanks to Hannah, who reviewed twice lol, Vikki, sn0zb0z and Kate for their reviews**

Danny had managed to avoid being alone with Stacie for as long as possible, but inevitably, when Mickey and Ash were out on a con, she cornered him in the living room

"Why have you been avoiding me?" she asked bluntly

"I haven't" he lied, his eyes flicking around the room, searching for possible ways out

"Yes you have Danny" she sighed, "I'd hoped we were past this childish bit of our friendship. We were getting along so well after we had that talk too"

"It's just…" he hesitated and was saved by the phone ringing, and grabbed it, making up a name as he spoke, "John Fremont, speaking" the response on the other end made his blood run cold

"Cut out the rubbish, Danny boy. I know it's you, I've been watching the hotel"

"Who is it?" Stacie whispered

"Hendon" he managed to mutter

"That's right" the voice croaked on the other end, "There's no point running, there's no point hiding, and there's no point in calling those coppers your so close with, because we've got your friend, and if you do, your friend dies."

"Who?" Danny asked desperately

"Mickey Stone. As I said, we're watching you. If either of you leave your room, or call the police, he dies, is that clear?"

"What do you want?"

"Haven't you figured it out yet? Apparently all those years calculating the cost of washing machines hasn't made the slightest impression on your IQ. We want you, Danny Boy. It's your fault I was inside. Not your friend Ash's; not your girlfriend's and not your girlfriend's fiancé. That doesn't mean I'll hesitate in killing any of them if need be, of course. So be a man, Danny, and come to the car park on Fletcher Street, tomorrow at two a.m. Arrive any later, and your friend dies. Got it?"

"Yes" Danny said, near silent

"Oh, and I just thought you should know, Danny Boy. If you hadn't gone running to protect your precious Stacie the second you heard I was out, I would never have found you, and I would have been forced to take out my anger on your friends. So you can be grateful that you still have a little courage left in you. Without it, Stacie would already be dead." There was a click on the other end as Hendon hung up.

"What did he say?" Stacie asked

"He's going to kill me"

"He can't. We'll call the police, or we can move or something. You'll be fine, Danny" He shook his head numbly,

"If I don't do what he says, he'll kill Mickey. I have to go"

"So you're expecting us to make a choice between Ash and you?"

"This has nothing to do with you. I've made my choice, and I have to go."

"He might just be bluffing, trying to scare you Danny."

"He might be" Danny agreed, "What time are they coming back at?"

"Half an hour at the latest."

* * *

Forty five minutes later, Danny started to pace the room. He and Stacie had tried both Mickey and Ash's mobile numbers several times to no avail.

"Looks like I have to go then" Danny said weakly as he glanced at the clock

"You can't" she objected

"If I don't, he'll kill Mickey"

"I you do, you'll die, and I can't lose you again. Not now you've come back. Not now that things have been the closest they've been to normal since Albert died!" she half shouted, tears rolling from her eyes.

"You survived without me before, you can do it again" he said soothingly, pulling her into a hug.

They both heard the door handle click, and turned to stare at the door hopefully. However, Ash walked through alone.

"What's going on?" he asked as soon as he spotted Danny holding her, the suspicion clear in his voice

"Hendon called" Danny mumbled in a dull tone, "Where's Mickey?"

"Isn't he here? I had something to finish, he said he was coming back here. How did Hendon get this number anyway?"

"I don't know, what does it matter anyway?"

"What did he say?"

"Just that unless I go to him, he'll kill Mickey."

"You can't do that!"

"That's what I said" Stacie agreed vehemently

"But then…"

"You seem to be forgetting Danny, that we're con artists. We sold the London Eye for God's sake! We can beat a moron like him"

"How? Mickey and Albert were the ones that could make the plans. The rest of us just did what we were told."

"Well we're got to think of something. I can't lose either of you" Stacie said

"Okay, but if we can't think of anything, I know what I have to do.

"Don't worry, we will" Ash said confidently, although inside, he was panicking.

"Has anyone thought of _anything_?" Danny asked desperately at nine

"Sorry mate" Ash shook his head, "I'll come with you though. We'll stand more of a chance together" Danny nodded numbly, running a hand through his hair. He looked from Stacie to Ash and back again, hating the pained looks on their faces, the fear and the guilt overwhelming both of them.

"I'm going for a walk. I'll come back before I go" he promised dutifully

"We might still think of something" Stacie suggested

"We'd never get anything organised in time. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm ready, honestly" he lied

"There's still time" Ash said feebly

"Thanks" Danny tossed over his shoulder as he grabbed his coat.

* * *

He gasped as the cold air hit him and wrapped his coat tighter about him. He could hear the telltale sounds of someone tailing him, but it could only be one person… It couldn't be any of Hendon's people. He would have sent more than one, just to be sure.

"Stop following me Stacie" he sighed as he spun on his heel

"I just though you could use some company"

"Then why not tell me you were there? What are you really doing?"

"I was scared you'd go to Hendon without telling us. We both know you're not a fan of long goodbyes."

"I can't let Ash get killed for my mistake"

"Mistake? You saved so many lives by getting him put away in the first place!"

"And now he's going to kill me for it. Goodbye Stacie" she knew him so well. He couldn't look at her face as he walked away from her for what could be the last time.

"Danny, wait, I…"

"Don't say it" he silenced her.

"I love you" she finished persistently. Danny shut his eyes. Why did she have to make everything so difficult?

"Well I don't love you" he lied and forced himself to walk into the darkness, and was relieved when he heard no following footsteps.


	6. The End

**This is the last chapter of this fic, and probably my last hustle fic for a while until season 4 arrives and inspires me!**

**thanks to all my reviewers- Hannah, Vikki, sn0zb0z and Kate for all their reviews**

"Nice of you to join us, Danny boy" Hendon's cold tone sent shudders up Danny's spine, but there was no turning back now.

"Where's Mickey?" he was amazed he found his voice. Hendon turned and whispered something to one of the men on his right, who nodded and disappeared into a room behind them. Seconds later, Mickey was dragged out, hands tied behind back, blood on his face from where he'd clearly been hit.

"Hey Mick" Danny fought to keep his voice steady. He couldn't give Hendon the satisfaction of fear.

"Hey Dan" he replied wearily, stumbling as he was shoved to stand beside Danny.

"You just had to get yourself caught, didn't you?" Danny laughed hollowly

"And you just had to come back to get yourself killed"

"Do me a favour? Tell Stacie the last thing I said to her was a lie"

"Tell her yourself, we'll get out of this"

"We both know that's not true"

"Stop talking" Hendon's voice thundered, and they both fell silent, "Now the two of you have a choice to make. I thought that I would want the little rat who went undercover and got me sent down dead, but since he's come here of his own free will, just to save Stone, I'm starting to waver. One and only one of you will die tonight. It's up to you to choose who. You have three minutes" Danny turned to Mickey resolutely

"It's me. I can't let anyone else get hurt for my mistakes. Not again…"

"It's me that was stupid enough to get caught, not you. And it was me that started the con on Hendon in the first place. Anyway, I'm in charge. It's me."

"If you died, Stacie would never forgive either of us"

"Then how do you think she'd react if it was you? I know Danny, I know she loves you. If not for your own sake, let me do it for Stacie's"

"She loves you, that's why she's marrying you"

"She's marrying me because you left."

"Time's up" Hendon smiled evilly, "Who's going to die?"

"Me" Danny spoke before Mickey had the chance to.

"Bring him forward" Hendon said, and one of the burly bodyguards yanked Danny to his feet and brought him to stand before Hendon. He removed a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, and chained Danny to a pipe

"I hope you like the handcuffs. It just seemed like poetic justice to me" Hendon said, removing the gun from his inside pocket. Danny shut his eyes tight, and sat up straight, determined he would die with some dignity. He wouldn't plead for his life. He intended giving Hendon the least enjoyment possible from this moment. The cool metal of the gun was pressed to his temple, and Danny thought of the best years of his life, when he'd worked the long con with Mickey and the gang. The sound of his own heart beat and breathe drowned out all other noise, and he fought the urge to cry.

He heard the gun go off, but felt no pain. Was this what it was like to die? He opened one eye slowly, and then the other, when he saw armed police officers rushing into the building. He turned his head quickly, and finally noticed Hendon lying on the ground, writhing in pain. His hearing came rushing back to him, and for the first time, he could make out Hendon's moans. Danny tried to stand up, but had to settle for kneeling, as the pipe he was chained to stopped him. He craned his neck to see Hendon better, and saw the blood rushing from his stomach. Danny usually couldn't stand the sight of blood, but this time, all he felt was pure relief, flooding his system. He turned to Mickey, who was on his feet, and he crossed the room to kneel beside Hendon. He stood again, seconds later, holding the key to Danny's handcuffs. He quickly unlocked them, and Danny rubbed his wrists, trying to ease the dull aching he felt.

"What I said, about Stacie loving you…" Mickey hissed as the coppers surrounded them, "It doesn't mean I'm going to let you have her"

"I know" Danny couldn't think of anything else to say, he was just too happy that he was still breathing.

"She must have called the police" Mickey went on, and Danny just nodded numbly. Just then Ash, and a pale Stacie appeared in the doorway. As soon as she set eyes on Danny, she ran across the room, and pulled him into a tight hug

"When I heard the gun…" she whispered

"It's okay, we're safe" he mumbled.

"Good to see you're alright. Both of you" Ash said. Still, Stacie didn't release Danny from her grip, until Mickey cleared his throat noisily from beside her. At once, she let go, and turned to her fiancé

"What happened?"

"Danny volunteered to get shot instead of me." Mickey said, "Mate, if you want back in the gang, you're more than welcome"

"Yeah, that would be good" Danny smiled

"Let's get down to Eddie's then, and celebrate it properly"

* * *

_Three weeks later_

Danny slipped through the door into Stacie's room, and coughed to make his presence known. She spun slowly, her white dress trailing on the ground

"You look beautiful" Danny said honestly, "Mickey's a lucky man"

"How's he doing anyway?"

"Ash is sorting him. I thought I should come to see how you're doing, seeing as you don't have a bridesmaid"

"I'd just always thought I would have Albie to give me away"

"I know" Danny smiled softly, "But I'm the next best thing"

"You are" she agreed softly, before pressing on, "Did you mean what you said that night?" he didn't ask what she meant. It was obvious to him, it was the 'I don't love you' lie he'd uttered. He hesitated, knowing what the right thing to do was, but struggling to bring himself to say it.

"Course not" he said honestly, "But you have to marry him"

"I know. If I don't, it'll be the end of our gang. Again."

"I'll see you later" he forced himself to smile, trying to hide the fact that his heart was breaking. It would kill him, but this time, he would stick around. He had to, for Stacie's sake.

* * *

**Thanks for sticking with me!**


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